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A Keene City Council committee voted down the organizers’ request for a license.

Last fall, riots broke out near Keene State College during the weekend of the festival.

“It is, I think, the most beautiful event the community has. It’s awesome,” said Nancy Sporborg, founder of the Keene Pumpkin Festival.

Sporborg came up with the idea for the festival in 1991. Now the Planning, Licensing and Development Committee has rejected a license for the fall festival for a second time.

Sporborg said it feels like a nightmare.

“I think it has become a family tradition. I think people have their kids come home for pumpkin festival instead of Thanksgiving. It’s become part of Keene, New Hampshire, and we are really, really lucky to have it, and I would hate to lose it,” Sporborg said.

Let it Shine is seeking a license to hold the would-be 25th annual festival this fall. The nonprofit wants the city to develop a security plan to ensure riots don’t happen, which it estimates won’t cost more than $300,000.

Some residents said no plan can guarantee riots won’t break out. Last year’s riots left the city with extensive damage and a more than $95,000 bill.

“Some people had to walk through the riots back to their cars,” said Jared Goodell, a Keene resident. “It would be irresponsible for this council to license another pumpkin festival to this city with the possibility that a resident or a visitor could be injured.”

Other people said the festival had nothing to do with the 2014 riots, which led to 91 arrests.

“My concern is, without the pumpkin festivals, you’re still going to have drunken idiots, and you don’t have a plan for that,” said Katie Rockwell, a resident.

The committee voted 4-0 to reject the license. The Keene City Council will vote on the license April 2, but will not allow another debate.